


Faking It

by PageOne_2020



Category: Free!
Genre: Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M, Post-Canon, for about ten minutes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-14 15:34:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28922910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PageOne_2020/pseuds/PageOne_2020
Summary: Rin's being followed by a stalker.  Haru's wanted for a drinking game.  By mutual agreement, they enter into a pretend 10-minute relationship to get out of both, only to find that the 'stalker' wasn't what she seemed.
Relationships: Matsuoka Rin/Nanase Haruka
Comments: 13
Kudos: 51





	1. Part I

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all! This story, unlike my other Free! story, is completely written (a first for me). It'll be 3 parts, all of which I'll have up by next weekend. Happy reading, folks :D

Haru shouldn't have come to the party.

After-parties were always – always – a bad idea. Mixing alcohol with high-stress adults recently off of the biggest international competition since the Olympics was the worst combination since the invention of YouTube channels and college frat parties. Both things were full of wild times that no one ever wanted to relive but usually had to thanks to a roommate or someone's high-pixel phone camera.

Haru wasn't even sure why he'd come. Even at twenty-three years old, he didn't drink. And he didn't talk (much).

But with a college degree under his belt and three Olympic medals (one gold), he was also apparently a huge pushover, because when the Captain of the team ordered him to come to the gathering, he didn't argue. Mostly because he'd learned over the years it was never a good idea to argue with the one controlling access to the pool.

Needless to say, two hours in, the food had been eaten, drinks served, and half the team was either drunkenly singing to each other or on the way there.

Haru was seriously bored (not to mention irritated, tired, and mackerel-deprived).

If the Captain was slurring his speech, did that mean he could leave?

Not to say Haru was completely alone. Two of the female swimmers and three of the men were too young to drink alcohol, busy conversing in the corner or being begged by their senpais for a help home.

And then there was Rin.

But when Haru didn't see a flash of red hair amongst the thirty or so friends, family, and swimmers seated around the bar, he realized the other must have left for his hotel already.

Cheater.

"Hey, 'aru, how's it goin'?"

 _Speaking of redheads._ "Asahi," Haru sighed, already pushing the other's arm off his shoulders.

"Ya seen kiss me?" Then, as if alerted to a private joke, he snorted out a laugh. "I mean, 'Kisumi'! Ha!"

Eager to be away from the smell of beer and the high-pitched laughter across the table, Haru quickly excused himself with, "I'll go look for him." _And maybe the back door while I'm at it._

"Aw, Haru, yer the bestest!" Asahi crooned, lips grinning crookedly.

Behind the restaurant proper was a small hallway to the kitchen and bathrooms. Haru bypassed the first, chatter from the chefs audible as a waiter stepped out. The wood floor was soft beneath his feet, Haru continuing past the male and female restroom signs to the door at the very end.

Letting himself hope this could be the back exit – probably to the alley – he gave the silver handle a tug.

Locked.

Dammit.

Maybe he should go out the front. Hope his Captain was too drunk to notice his sudden absence.

Haru was just working himself up to that idea when a hand shot out of nowhere.

Before he could even grunt a, "Hey!" he was yanked into the men's restroom.

The door slammed shut behind him, restaurant noises all but vanishing. He didn't have time to appreciate the clean tiles and dark maroon wall paint before a pair of panicked, ruby eyes were staring him in the face.

"Haru."

Ah. So Rin had decided to hide in the bathroom. Not a bad idea.

"Is she gone?"

"…what?"

Rin scowled, frustrated at Haru's inability to mind-read. "In the restaurant. The brunette. Is she gone?"

"Why are you asking me?"

"Just go check."

"No. Let go of me. I'm not doing your dirty work for you."

The redhead finally released his grip on Haru's sweatshirt with a frustrated sigh. "You have to check for me so I can leave."

"What'd she do, steal your train pass?"

"No, idiot. She's been… stalking me."

"…Someone wants to stalk _you_?"

"It's not funny. That woman has been following me everywhere this whole trip. I swear." When there was no further commitment on Haru's end, Rin growled, "Just check," arms crossed and looking possibly even more annoyed than Haru. "I don't want her to know where my hotel is."

Whatever. Maybe if he helped, Rin would take Haru with him. Mutual escape.

The dark-haired let out an annoyed sigh before doing as instructed.

With a vague description like 'stalkery brunette', Haru really should have had a harder time spotting this woman. Only, he didn't, mostly because there was only one twenty-something sitting by herself without any alcohol, watching the hallway Haru stood in with a borderline predatory gaze.

Haru met her eyes with his usual blank stare. She looked away, fiddling with the water glass before her. She was small and probably 'cute' by Nagisa's standards, the kind of girl he'd expect to be in an English class spouting Shakespeare, not stalking an international swimmer.

But those eyes he'd glimpsed said enough. As someone who communicated solely with a glance, Haru was good at reading the same from others.

She was waiting for Rin. To do what, he could only guess.

But the man had a reason to be worried.

Haru stepped back into the bathroom with a blank expression. "She's still there."

Rin scrubbed at his face. "God damn it."

"I'll try to get the keys to the back door." Maybe if he slipped the waiter some money they could give it to him.

"Wait." Rin didn't give him much of a choice, having grabbed Haru's wrist before he could open the door. "I've got an idea."

"Better than mine?"

It wasn't exactly a question, but Rin didn't bother trying to answer anyway. "Go out with me."

"I will, once I get the key," Haru answered, irritation rising. He was tired and ready to be out of there.

"No, I mean pretend to date me. Then maybe she'll leave me alone."

Haru tried to yank his wrist back to no avail. "Why would I do something stupid like that?"

Rin scowled. "Because. I asked."

"That's not a reason."

"Dammit, Haru, I need your help."

"Why should I help you? She'll leave you alone once you go back to Australia."

Rin rolled his eyes like Haru was being the thickest idiot since Momo tried hitting on his sister. "I'm done with college. Why would I go back to Australia when I'm part of the national team here?"

Good point.

That still didn't make it his problem. "Let go."

Rin sighed, looking away with a grimace, strands of ruby hair hiding his eyes. His hand was still firm around Haru's wrist, either not aware or choosing to ignore the other's growing irritation.

"If you do this for me… I'll buy you a hot tub." The redhead finally met his gaze, magenta eyes serious. "You can put it on your patio. I'll make sure it fits."

Haru took about five seconds to consider.

"Fine."

Rin grinned – that cocky one he always had before a race. Just then, the bathroom door slammed open, nearly smacking Haru in the shoulder blades.

It was the Captain, miraculously recovered from his binge drinking. "Hey, Haru! You're still here! Let's try goin' a round of shots to see how long you last."

Haru was never more relieved to have been dragged into the bathroom for a fake dating agreement.

"We're leaving," he asserted, yanking the redhead so hard he almost stumbled as Haru wrapped his arms around his bicep. "Goodnight."

The Captain protested, but Haru made sure to walk faster than his drink-addled steps.

He also ignored the grabby hands of his other teammates, leaving the restaurant proper for the small alcove with their shoes. Haru let go of Rin's muscular forearm long enough to put them on, only reacquiring his grip once the two stepped outside into the warm evening air.

The two continued down the sidewalk. It was fairly empty thanks to the late hour, only the occasional car at their left, most of the shops closed on their right.

Rin slowed long enough to put his ball cap on, pulling Haru closer by throwing an arm over his shoulders. He also used the act to subtly glance behind them.

"She's following, about four meters back," he added under his breath.

"What now?"

"Am I supposed to come up with everything?" Rin hissed.

"It was your idea," Haru corrected, voice monotone.

The redhead scowled at the air and didn't say anything further.

Really, did he have to do everything?

Haru kept his face blank as he stopped walking. Rin glanced at him, still annoyed, the dark-haired swimmer adding, "Quit looking like that. She'll never believe we're dating."

It took a second before the redhead realized the validity of Haru's words, finally dropping the pinched expression. He even managed… a small smile. No teeth, thank god, just a little uptilt of the lips.

Desperate times called for desperate measures.

There was a conbini just ahead, fluorescent lighting spilling out onto the sidewalk. The alleyway next to it was perfect – secluded but lit.

Haru turned Rin to face him. The redhead miraculously obeyed, keeping that small, fond smile on his face, kind of like the one he got when Nitori said something particularly worshipping. Haru made sure not to block the other's face from view as he adjusted Rin's jacket – It had slipped off his shoulders, black fabric exposing the tan skin.

Minutes passed, the two standing there, staring at each other.

"What the hell, Haru?" Rin questioned, chastising tone counter to his relaxed face.

"Nagisa does that for Rei."

"And that matters why?"

"It's… 'cute'?"

Rin looked like he barely controlled the urge to face-palm. "Oi. Would you… ugh, never mind. Just… try coming on to me."

"…Why can't you come on to _me_?"

Rin cracked his expression long enough to give him a flat look. "It doesn't have the same effect. Just do it."

"If I've never dated, how would I know-"

"Oh, Jesus, Haru! Try doing something ro-"

Haru didn't bother waiting for him to finish. Mostly because Rin's face was starting to look anything but loving and the objective was more important than teasing his friend.

The dark-haired adult shoved Rin's shoulders, hard.

The redhead stumbled, only for the brick wall to catch him. Rin went from frustrated to confused to understanding in less than twenty seconds, no doubt thanks to their mood-reading ability born from years of competing in adjacent swimming lanes.

It was probably why Rin didn't flinch when Haru's palms landed flat on his chest. A chest that… well, Gou was right – firm enough for a lot of cleavage.

Rin's eyes dilated a bit when Haru's hands slid up his shirt, met skin, and slowly moving past to glide over his collarbone. Haru could feel every angle, every muscle, like a map that was one part of Rin. He was touching a piece of Rin.

The man himself looked… really into it. Into Haru touching him.

His hands finally curled around Rin's neck, long calloused fingers reaching into uneven hair.

Rin was ready for the kiss when Haru stepped forward, asphalt crunching beneath his shoe the only indication he'd moved at all.

Their mouths collided, already open, looking like they'd done this a thousand times but at the same time hadn't in years. Rin's lips were soft and warm, mouth wet, tasting like noodles and soy sauce. Haru gripped red hair, feeling like he was prying the other's mouth open wider with his hands. To be closer. To taste more.

The hat bill kept bumping him the forehead, forcing Haru to tilt their heads for better access. The angle was even smoother, tongue slotting in with ease. Rin was sucking his mouth, lips grabbing, the two of them breathing heavy.

Haru had an urge to keep kissing Rin. But not on the mouth.

And suddenly, the two of them broke apart.

Even swimmers, used to holding their breaths, could only go for so long, both of them breathing heavy. He was warm, and Rin's face was close, ever so close, to his own. His face was flushed, red hair almost looking seductive where it hung in his eyes. Eyes that were dilated and bright from… whatever they'd just been doing.

That glistening scarlet gaze flicked over Haru's shoulder. "She's gone."

…She?

Ah, right.

The stalker.

Even though it was summer and barely warranted a jacket, Haru felt suddenly chill when he removed his hands and took a step back. Rin was just… standing there, no longer leaning against the wall but also not about to move. He opened his mouth, almost like he was about to say something. Haru, strangely, found himself waiting, only… Rin stopped and looked away with a _tsk_.

"…Thanks, Haru."

Haru didn't say anything. Rin, hiding his expression as he adjusted his hat, looking down as he pulled his jacket tighter, before turning back into the street.

The two of them continued in silence to the train station.

Rin wouldn't look at him. His eyes were pinned to the ground, barely looking up to avoid running into someone.

It was… awkward.

And not just on Rin's part. Haru had a hard time looking at the redhead without immediately looking at his lips, picturing his warm face or the feel of his hair, the taste of his mouth. Every time he looked over at Rin's loose jacket and toned shoulders, he couldn't help wondering what it would feel like to have his hands back on the other's chest. What would happened if they'd kept going.

Which was just… wrong.

Rin was his friend. One of his closest friends and a fellow swimmer for Japan. They weren't just rivals anymore, they were teammates.

It wasn't supposed to be like that.

The two of them finally parted ways with barely-audible good nights. Soon Haru was seated alone on the train, watching the platform vanish in tunnel lights and reflective windows.

Studying the window reflections of weary passengers helped him ignore the gnawing feeling in his gut. The feeling that something fundamental in his relationship with Rin had just been royally screwed up. 

And it might not be as easy to fix as a post-race drinking game.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for picking this up. Leave a comment if you have any thoughts; I'd love to hear from you!


	2. Part II

Haru was trying to put the evening party out of his mind by the next day. Because… duh, water.

And it wasn’t like he and Rin normally saw each other. They swam at different times, with different coaches, and sometimes even in different locations. Hell, their friend circles weren’t even the same anymore.

Which… honestly, was probably a good thing. Haru couldn’t even hear Rin’s name without immediately thinking about what his mouth felt like. And the way his skin felt all warm and toned. And… other things he shouldn’t be thinking about in the middle of his daily runs or his laps in the pool or pretty much anywhere but the privacy of his room.

Azuma, his Coach and pseudo-mentor since college, was particularly sadistic in his training over the next few days. Which worked out well, since it provided another nice distraction from his unusually indecent brain.

He was in the midst of one such lap set in the Olympic-sized pool he’d trained in since high school when Coach Azuma called him out of the water.

Chlorinated liquid sloshed off his muscles as Haru pulled himself from the pool, flicking his head twice to clear the droplets from his vision.

As Haru toweled off and threw on a set of warm-ups at the other’s insistence, he noticed Azuma clutching a sports magazine in his hands. The rest of his appearance looked the same – messy mahogany hair, three-day-old beard, and clothes that hadn’t seen the wash in at least that long. The only other thing unusual was the frown on his face, five times more severe than his traditional disappointing stare. 

Coach didn’t hang around to explain his mood, turning without a word and leading Haru out of the pool room. Outside, they found a small couch cluster by the windows, void of any listening ears. Azuma took a seat first, Haru sitting opposite.

“Explain this.”

Haru didn’t get a chance to ask what ‘this’ was before a magazine was slapped down on the table.

The page was open to some kind of a gossip column, in the personals section that sports magazines (for whatever reason) always included. There were various pictures on each page capturing swimmers in their personal lives, words containing the reporter’s opinions on each side of the sometimes explosive bits of gossip.

He didn’t notice any of the others.

Because… one picture looked disturbingly familiar.

The image was dark, only a far-off fluorescent light illuminating their figures. Still, even with the hat and jackets and both men in the process of sucking face, it was easy to recognize who they were.

Rin and Haru. Making out in an alleyway.

For the first time in his life, Haru was speechless. And not because he wanted to be.

“Care to explain?” Azuma asked, less a question and more of a command.

Haru finally looked up from the picture, face expressionless and calm. “What about it?”

His coach frowned, eyes sparking with irritation. “Don’t give me that. I’m looking at you making out with your rival on page ten of _Japan Sports Weekly_. It’s too late to play dumb.”

“Since you understand, what do I have to explain?”

Azuma gave him The Look. The Look that usually meant Haru should shut up about ‘only swimming free’ or saying traditional swimming form was crap since he already knew how to swim. This time, The Look probably meant Haru had a lot of 15-kilometer jogs and hot saunas in his future.

“…Listen. I don’t care what you do in your own time, just don’t be stupid enough to let some _reporter_ catch you doing it _on camera_ for the entire Japanese sports world to see it. The team’s had a dozen calls since this hit the stands an hour ago, and I don’t think I need to remind you of-“

He was interrupted by the phone ringing. Azuma scowled, at the phone, buzzing on the glass tabletop, obviously not wanting to answer. But as it continued to sit there, flashing with the words ‘muscle freak’, Azuma finally caved.

“Ah, Ryuji-kun! How are you doing on this fine sunny day?” Coach Mikhail’s voice came through loud and clear. Despite speaking into Azuma’s ear, Haru could hear the Russian’s accented Japanese from across the table. 

The enthusiasm in his tone reminded Haru once again why he and Rin almost never had joint practices.

“Cut the small-talk. Did you see the photo?”

“Ah, yes! Impressively sharp considering the poor lighting. Quite a skilled photographer~.”

If possible, Azuma got even more annoyed, lip curling up at one side and looking five seconds from chucking his phone across the room. “Forget about the quality. You know what this means, don’t you? These two could be in a lot of trouble pretty damn quick if we don’t do some damage control.”

“Hmm… I think you may have a point,” Mikhail agreed on a sigh, sounding slightly more serious. “Let us meet to discuss in person – sound good? We’re a few blocks away at a ramen store. Mm, most delicious miso! We’ll see you here soon~!”

Mikhail didn’t want for a response before hanging up. Azuma, glaring at the phone, seemed to take a few seconds to decide if he wanted to forget the entire conversation or just give into his destructive urges and toss the thing.

A few seconds passed before he sighed. “Let’s go.”

The walk to the ramen store was quiet but not awkward. His coach seemed to take the time to stew in contemplative silence while Haru used the opportunity to bottle himself up even more in anticipation of the coming assault.

But really, he wasn’t all that concerned. It was just a kiss. Everything would blow over by the next issue of Japan Sports Weekly, when another story appeared about an affair or prominent arrest.

Because it was just a kiss. Nothing to get so worked up about.

Several blocks of warm air and two traffic lights later, they finally arrived at the ramen shop. It was an hour before the regular lunch crowd, the place only half-full, Mikhail and Rin easy to spot at a table right beside the door.

Rin didn’t look chastised. In fact, it didn’t look concerned at all, leaning against the window with his cap low and on his way to falling asleep. Mikhail, however, was all smiles, examining the menu with child-like glee, almost like he was about to have caviar instead of noodles in broth.

He quit the perusing the menu when the two sat down. Haru took the inside chair, opposite Rin; the redhead barely gave him a glance before… that same awkward feeling came up.

Because if he’d thought hearing Rin’s name was bad, it was nothing like seeing him in person.

His skin wasn’t flushed like the other night. His eyes didn’t have that dilated, shiny look brought on by lack of air and some intense face-sucking. But Haru couldn’t help picturing it. He had to focus on the conversation just to keep from looking at the other’s lips for more than two seconds.

It was just Rin. But also… not Rin.

It was confusing.

“Ryuji-kun! That was quick, I’m glad. Let’s order, before-“

“No. We’re not staying for lunch.”

The blonde Russian looked a little crushed. “But why?”

“Because Haru has practice to get back to and we have a situation to manage. Forget the food.”

“But you must eat sometime, no? Why not start now? Besides, discussing this will take time. It is best not to rush amongst friends.”

“Friends?”

Mikhail either didn’t hear or didn’t feel like responding, as just then the waiter arrived and he started chatting up the waitress about their noodle bowls. Azuma, either too hungry to keep arguing or caving to peer pressure, ordered after Rin. Haru got the ramen with mackerel, and then the four of them were left alone.

“What are you two doing over here, anyway?” Azuma finally asked, swishing his tea glass.

It was a legitimate question. Their colleges and subsequent training pools were on opposite sides of the Tokyo metro.

Mikhail’s green eyes danced, spreading his arms wide and nearly whapping Rin in the head. “To share with you my brilliant plan, of course!”

Azuma looked to Rin for some kind of explanation. The redhead, looking just as confused as Azuma, took a sip of tea before adding, “This is the first I’m hearing of it.”

_Of what, the pictures, or the plan?_

Haru didn’t get a chance to ask before Azuma rolled his eyes, adding, “If it’s an idea of yours I don’t want to hear it.”

Mikhail sulked. “Don’t say that, Ryuji. Such negativity is unbecoming of a prestigious athlete.”

“Are you really telling me you have an idea that can fix _this_?”

To punctuate his statement, Azuma pulled out the magazine again, almost as if to mentally remind himself of the picture that was proving so detrimental to his stress level. Looking at the image didn’t seem to help any; instead, it made him scowl even harder, finally dropping the thing on the table with a _tsk_.

“Of course! It was just innocent fun, yes?”

Rin sat up with a sigh. “Not exactly.”

“What happened?” Azuma asked, seeming for the first time interested in the story behind it.

The redhead finally met Haru’s gaze, unflinching, looking… maybe a little guilty? “There was this… girl following me. She’s been following me for the past few weeks. I thought she was just another stalker fan with some weird crush, so… I got Haru to leave a bar with me. It was supposed to shake her off.” He sighed again, meeting his coach’s eyes. “It wasn’t the best idea, I know. I had no idea she was a reporter. It’s my fault. Haru’s got nothing to do with it.”

…

_What the hell?_

Haru was a participant. He even initiated the kiss. Why was Rin taking all the responsibility?

Before Haru could do more than glare at his friend, annoyance bubbling up from somewhere, Azuma said, “That’s interesting, but how does it help us fix this? Even if we could file a suit against the reporter for stalking, she’s already got the photo.”

“Ah, actually, she has seven pictures-”

“Oi!”

“-but this one shows the best.”

“…”

Mikhail didn’t rise to Azuma’s rising blood pressure. Instead, his face looked unusually somber. “I think we agree the problem is that two Japan National teammates were seen making out together, no?”

“No, the problem is, they got caught,” Azuma was quick to correct.

“Yes, but we can’t fix that. What we can fix is how everyone sees this.”

“What are you saying?”

“There is no way to erase what is already done. I think it is better that we embrace this so that our swimmers can move on with their training as quickly as possible.”

“…Embrace it how?” Azuma half sounded like he didn’t want an answer.

“By announcing their official status as long-time boyfriends!”

Wait… what?

Azuma and Rin seemed just as stunned as Haru. Then the statement finally sunk in.

“That’s the stupidest idea I’ve ever heard. We’re not doing that.”

Rin was frowning, sitting sideways in his chair to face Mikhail. “Coach, we’re still two teammates who got caught with our tongues down each other’s throats. Making it more public isn’t going to help.”

“Would it not?” Mikhail continued, addressing his swimmer. “This would alleviate some of your stalkers. It would keep rumors of your relationship from spiraling into imagination. Embracing this will make you stronger in the future! It is the best course!”

Rin and Azuma continued to stare at the blonde like he’d started speaking in his native Russian. The idea was crazy, and if anything, it would just drag the story out even longer.

Azuma sighed, scrubbing his face with his hands, almost like he was trying to peel the irritation away. “We need to make a press statement. We have two options: Deny that’s Rin and Haru in the picture, which is risky because we don’t know how clear her other shots are, or we say they were too wasted to tell up from right never mind a man from a woman.”

“…So now we’re blind swimmers who can’t hold our liquor?” Rin queried.

“It’s the best story. If we…”

Azuma continued talking, but Haru had quit listening. Mikhail joined in at some point, no doubt to rally for his idea, but was probably met with more resistance on both sides.

Because… for some reason, ‘fake dating’ didn’t sound that bad.

Everything was awkward right now. He and Rin weren’t talking to each other. His old friend could hardly look at him. Not to mention he held some kind of false sense of responsibility for something he hadn’t even wanted to do in the first place.

And Haru was thinking about Rin all the time anyway; maybe if they were together longer, these new whatever-they-were feelings would finally go away and he could get back to thinking only about swimming.

Not about someone who was supposed to be his friend.

Haru finally looked up from his musing to meet a pair of magenta eyes. Rin was already looking at him – staring, more like, apparently waiting to hear from him.

It took Haru a moment to realize Rin wasn’t the only one staring – both Mikhail and Azuma had quit talking, giving him an expectant look.

Whoops.

“Well, Haru?” Azuma began dryly, obviously realizing Haru had tuned out some time ago. “What do you want to do?”

What did he want to do? Sweep it under the rug and probably never speak to Rin again?

_Or…_

“I want to go with Mikhail’s plan.”

Silence. One not just because of shock.

Mikhail’s mouth dropped open. It took two tries before he recovered speech. “That… it is an attractive idea, isn’t it, Haru-kun?”

Azuma, on the other hand, looked like he was five seconds from booting Haru’s ass to the curb. Interest in his swimming be damned. “You want to do _what_?”

Haru looked to Rin, expecting some kind of support. Only, instead of the surprise he’d been imagined, he found a pair of magenta eyes narrowed and scowling, glaring daggers at him.

Rin… was pissed.

“What the fuck, Haru?” The other snapped. “What the hell are you tryin’ ta do? Making fun of me? Screw you.”

“Rin, that’s not-“

“What is it, then?” The redhead asked, jumping up from the table like his rage was too much to contain.

“Do you really think that’s what I’m doing?” Haru snapped, his own temper getting the better of him. God, Rin was so damned pigheaded. “Do you know me at all?”

“I thought I did!” Rin shouted. “Then what the hell’s this?”

How to put it into words? Hell, Haru wasn’t even entirely sure why he’d said it. “I don’t know, I just…”

“’Just what’, Haru?”

“To…”

“What?”

“To fix this!” Haru finally shouted, rising from his chair. “This… awkward thing going on! What do you want from me?!”

Rin didn’t have an answer.

And Haru… had nothing more to say.

What _was_ he supposed to say? Both coaches, Rin, and the other seven people in the restaurant were staring at him with surprise, but mostly irritation at his outburst. Haru didn’t even know what the problem between was, much less how to fix it. Maybe it was a stupid idea. All he knew was that he couldn’t stop thinking about the other night, everyone was mad at him, and it was all his fault.

Because… they were friends.

This wasn’t the time or the place for this argument. Regardless of how bad Rin seemed to want to have it.

So without another word, Haru shouldered his swim bag and marched out of the restaurant.

No one followed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of wanted to get the story done so just putting it out there sooner than I planned. And please, I'd love to hear from y'all if you've got time to drop a comment! :D


	3. Part III

The next day, Azuma and Mikhail made an announcement to the newspapers.

Rin Matsuoka and Haruka Nanase had been drunk swimmers who couldn’t tell their own teammate from a stranger on the street. They were drunk, couldn’t hold their liquor, and it was dark. Nothing abnormal going on.

And that was the end of it.

Azuma didn’t ask Haru why he’d stormed out after that lunch. Instead, the next day, they went right back into training.

The water couldn’t calm him down.

And why would it? Every lap, every turn, every meditative bit of floating just reminded him of Rin. The mounting block reminding him of the relays with Rin, navy cap sliding through the water towards him. Sitting in the water reminded Haru of that time they’d floated in Tokyo bay years ago during the Japan Open.

It felt like the water had betrayed him.

And it was all Rin’s fault.

Haru couldn’t tell if he was mad, hurt, or confused anymore. But… no, not hurt, because Rin didn’t hurt him anymore. And Haru was too calm to get ruffled like normal people anyway.

'Mad' it was.

And he was still mad a full week later.

Since the announcement had been made one week ago, the media had calmed down. Haru had managed to put his still-lingering anger to some use – at the last race he beat a full 30 seconds off of his best time.

He hadn’t seen Rin in a week.

Which was for the best. Because Haru had nothing more to say.

Tired and still residually frustrated, the dark-haired swimmer emerged from his all-day training session. Azuma had left hours ago, leaving Haru to his ritual pool hang-outs since the adult liked to stay far longer than anyone else in the chlorinated air.

The sun was setting by the time he got out, showered, and changed. Outside, Tokyo had gone from scorching to humid and warm, cicadas chirping in the nearby trees.

Haru found a familiar, dark-haired blonde sitting on the half-wall outside. Makoto, his best friend since childhood, greeted him with a warm smile. “Hey, Haru.”

It was rare that the two of them got to just meet up anymore. Between Haru’s laborious training schedule and Makoto’s newbie status at work, times they had together to get a drink were few and far between.

“Are you hungry? I was thinking we could order some delivery at your place. There’s a great ramen store just a few blocks away.”

“…what about your work?”

Makoto grinned, shouldering his bag and starting off for the station. “I got the night off. How was practice?”

“Fine.”

Makoto chuckled at Haru’s lack-luster answer before making small-talk on their walk from the gym, covering everything from the kids he was training, and his colleagues. He even remarked about Haru’s last competition, how he’d been in the stands, what it was like, etc.

It wasn’t until they got on the half-empty train that Makoto threw a curve-ball. “I, uh, heard you and Rin had a bit of an argument.”

…Ah.

When Haru didn’t say anything, the blonde continued, “I saw him a couple days ago and he seemed a little down. He’s worried about you.”

Haru really, really didn’t want any advice over the not-argument, but he didn’t have the heart to shut-down Makoto when he decided to give it.

Only, instead of going into immediate advice mode, he segued into an even worse topic. “That was… an interesting picture they took. I’m glad everything’s calmed down now. You guys’ve got to be happy about that, right?”

“Mm.”

“You know… Rin has a bit of a temper when it comes to his career. I’m glad he didn’t lose it over something like that. But… sometimes he takes it out on people he doesn’t mean to.”

It was obvious what Makoto was getting at. And… well, that made sense. Rin was serious about his career. Maybe he’d taken what Haru said the wrong way. Maybe. But that was no reason to get so crabby about it.

Haru refrained from answering. Not that Makoto seemed to be expecting one anyway, clutching on to the train handholds as they puttered down the track.

He foolishly believed that would be the end of it.

It wasn’t until they got to his apartment that the true reason for Makoto’s visit came out. Namely, to keep him from bolting once he saw who was sitting in the hallway.

A familiar redheaded figure was leaning against the wall beside his door, hands in his pockets and hoodie over his muscle shirt. The earbuds were absent, and as soon as he heard their steps in the hall, Rin perked up like a startled gazelle.

“Haru.”

Makoto had given Rin his address. 

Of course.

The dark-haired swimmer shot his best friend a glare. Makoto just smiled like Haru's... something wasn't currently sitting on his front porch uninvited, giving a small wave to both. “Ah, Haru, I see you have some company. We can meet up later. Nice to see you, Rin.”

“Thanks, man.”

Thanks? Really?

Haru turned, about to follow Makoto, when a hand grabbed his hood in a vice-like grip. “Not so fast, Haru.”

“…What do you want, Rin?”

“I just wanna talk.” Haru glanced over his shoulder, suspicious. Only Rin was looking unusually… cryptic, revealing nothing in those magenta orbs. “Can I?”

Like Haru had a choice. If he kicked Rin out now, the redhead would call in the cavalry. Makoto would come back and give him those puppy eyes and soon he’d be playing host to both men, forced to have this no-doubt awkward conversation in front of his best friend and…

Yeah. No choice.

“Fine.”

Rin, despite Haru’s less-than-enthusiastic tone, smiled fondly. “Thanks, Haru.”

When they stepped into his small place, Haru flicking on the lights, Rin produced a couple of grocery sacks from behind his back.

“Hungry? I got you somethin’ with mackerel.”

Haru nodded, and Rin sat down at the table, unloading the plastic boxes while the other reluctantly grabbed chopsticks and drinks.

It was a few minutes later, both adults halfway through their bentos, when Rin decided to break the tense silence. “So… you want to go out with me.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“No? ‘cause, you seemed pretty sold on the whole ‘fake relationship’ thing.”

“Emphasis on ‘fake’.”

Instead of getting pissed off at Haru’s attitude, Rin surprised him with a smirk. “…So if I said I wanted to go out with you, you’d say no.”

“Yes.”

“Yes you’d say no, or yes you’d go out with me?”

“Rin.”

Seeing Haru was less than amused, Rin managed to contain some of his smirking. Slowly, however, his grin faded to be replaced by that same serious expression from before he couldn't quite read.

"I’m sorry for shouting at you. I honestly thought you were teasing me.”

Rin didn't look away. He held Haru's gaze, ruby eyes intense, arms relaxed at his sides. He was being sincere. “That was serious. I wouldn’t tease.”

“I know. You take swimming seriously. Most of the time. I just… overreacted. I don’t think it’s something to joke about.”

“The pictures, or dating?”

“Both.” Haru looked up, surprised. He grew even more surprised when Rin was actually meeting his gaze, instead of doing that weird blushing thing he always did when sensitive subjects came up. “So… will you go out with me?”

“…”

“I want to try dating you, Haru. You’re someone who’s special to me. And despite what you keep saying, I think you feel the same. Will you go out with me?”

When a few seconds passed and Haru had yet to say anything, Rin went from intent to irritated. It only got worse when Haru finally said, “…You just thought of this now.”

Rin narrowed eyes. “Yeah, well, you didn’t either, genius.”

“What do you think I was trying to do?”

Rin scowled. “I don’t speak ‘Haru’. Not all of us can read your mind.”

“Makoto can.”

“Oi! Seriously?”

“Ok, Rin.”

“’Ok’ what?”

“Ok, I’ll go out with you.”

Rin didn’t look nearly as happy by that as he should have. “…really?”

“Really.”

“…Are you sure? Because that didn’t sound very… convincing.”

Haru made a point to meet his eyes. Hopefully in that wordless way he was known for, Haru managed to convey some of his sincerity. How frustrated Rin made him on a daily basis, and how he couldn’t stop thinking about him for the rest of it. Everything else was dull by comparison.

Did that make Haru a masochist? Maybe. “I want to go out with you.” Or try it, anyway.

Rin slowly dropped his skeptical eyes, lips gradually turning up at the corners. It was one of his cute smiles that showed off some of his shark teeth. “Now, was that so hard?”

“Yeah.”

Rin rolled his eyes, muttering, “Why did I ever think this would be a good idea?”

“Because I’m a good kisser.”

“…Well, true.”

After dinner was over and cleaned up, they ended up putting that idea to the test. Haru and Rin, it turns out, were good kissers with or without the crazy stalker reporters to watch. Which was good, because… voyeurism was a bit much to do on a regular basis.

One week later, the balcony hot-tub Rin had promised him almost a month ago finally arrived.

Cicadas were still buzzing and the heat was still climbing. The two adults stood in Haru's living room, admiring the wooden tub sitting on his porch.

“…that’s not going to work.”

Admittedly, it did look a little odd – a wooden bathtub sitting in the middle of his fifth-floor patio in plain view of every Tokyo resident in his building and the one across the courtyard. “It’ll work.”

“Haru, your patio’s tiny. Not to mention the neighbors – It’s like putting an ofuro in the middle of Shibuya Crossing. It’s just… weird. We’re not leaving it there.”

“Yes we are, Rin.”

“Really.”

“It’s my patio and my tub. It stays,” he snapped, glaring.

“Be reasonable,” Rin growled back, meeting his glare head-on.

He had to make Rin see his side. The benefits of having personal access to an open-air tub in the middle of the city when his pool access was already limited by a swim Captain with drinking problems. “I’ll let you use it.”

“Like I would-“

“Together.”

“…together?” Rin turned his assessing eyes back to the minuscule patio. “…I’ll help you fill it up.”

Rin went to get buckets to fill up the bath. Haru couldn’t help thinking he wasn’t the only pushover.

And maybe that wasn’t a bad thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was like almost 1000 words shorter than most of my chapters which makes me nervous, but it gets everything across so... *shrugs* guess this way it's easier to read :/
> 
> Thank you for the kudos and comments guys! I was trying to make it a light read and I think that's what happened. I hope you enjoyed it and thank you for reading!


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